32 bodies, 9 human heads found in Mexico mass graves

MEXICO CITY: Authorities have exhumed 32 bodies and nine heads from several clandestine graves in Mexico’s violence-plagued southern state of Guerrero this week, officials said on Thursday (Friday in Manila). The remains were unearthed between Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) and Thursday in 17 pits on a hill in the village of Pochahuixco, part of the municipality of Zitla, a region beset by turf wars between drug cartels. “The discoveries are terrible,” Guerrero state security spokesman Roberto Alvarez said, adding that the victims include 31 men and one woman. The remains were taken to the state capital, Chilpancingo, to be identified, Alvarez said in a statement. No arrests have been made in the case. The bodies were found in 17 of 20 pits that were dug up by investigators. No other remains were found but soldiers are scouring the region for any other hidden graves. No arrests were made. Authorities had reported earlier the discovery of 19 victims but the body count rose during the day.